Looking for an oscillating spindle sander for my intarsia project

[boogatoo]

Hi, I am looking for an oscillating spindle sander but i found out that most of the menufaturers discontinued that product.

I had the Delta BOSS (SA350K) in mind but this is discontinued, even the repair center don't hold refub anymore. It look bad for spear parts in the eventuality of a broken machine.

I decided to turn myself to the RYOBI OSS500, at Home-Depot, this is also discontinuated. I called RYOBY custumer care center and they confirmed to me that they (RYOBI) discontinuated the product. I also read that the RIGID sander at Home Depot is no longer supported by them and will be discontinuated soon. Again it does not look good the eventuality of a broken machine.

I found King-Canada and Mastercraft (Canadian Tire) that still have machines (actually, it is the same made in china machine on wich they stuck a different label, King-Canada has a 2 yrs warranty, MasterCraft has a 3 years exchange warranty) but I am doubtful of the quality of this machine.

It seem to me that they are discontinuating this kind of products because they lack of buyers. Anyone has a suggestion?

[William Young (SE BC)]

If the one distributed by King is the same as the one shown here, don't think twice about getting it. This one is from BusyBee tools and I have been informed that the King and the Craftex are out of the same overeas factory.
Busybee often puts sales on their power tools with substantial savings .That oscillating spindle sander is very heavily built with lots of cast iron and a strong motor. I keep mine under the bench when not in use because of a very small shop but it is a real gut stretcher to lift it onto my workmate whenever I get into bandsaw box production several times a year.
W.Y.

[boogatoo]

The closest busybee store is in Otawa ON. while I am in Montreal QC. Too far away, shipping would cost too much. If I can't find one, I'll go to Ottawa this summer and get it. How about the Dust collection? Is it effective?
Thanks.

[William Young (SE BC)]

I had mine shipped overnight by Greyhound and it wasn't all that bad for price when considering the time and gas it would have cost me. I am at least a 7 hour drive from the closest BusyBee . I also got it when it was on sale which way more than covered the Greyhound charge.
The dust collection is quite effective. More so with a 5HP Shop Vac than with my DC system.
But with any built in dust collecting system they usually draw most from the bottom and not all of it from the top so I always wear a very efficient dust mask when doing that much sanding.
W.Y.

[SharonW0111]

I personally would rather have a heavy cast iron tool . I have a small shop also but I can always arrange some way to fit in another tool I have to be able to wheel my chair to a comfortable safe working positon for all my tools and I did knock off my first scroll saw when it caught my oxygen tubing--needless to say it broke the table top brackets and being a cast iron was no harm to the saw - it fell from a 4 ft height onto concret patio then- I am someday make a new table top for it but I did have to buy me another saw to be able to finish the order I was working on-- as my drill press is cast iron -knocked over a couple of times and not hurt in the slightest-- give me cast iron anytime--just bought me a new bandsaw and I chose the one with the cast iron table over the others...just seems to me to be cast iron they are heaVY AND MORE DURABLE
Sharon

[lucky788scroller]

Sharon, why not put the word out on the forums looking for parts for that saw with the broken table, you might find one someone has that the motor is shot on, and the tables still good! One other thing.....Have you considered bolting your tools down to the floor? I worry about you ya know! dale

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0538
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0538/images

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9922
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G9922/images

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0529
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0529/images

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G1071
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G1071/images

[Hobbyhorse]

I have a sander that is the same as Williams's one but with a different branding on it, and I am happy with it. I have had it for about 4 years and the only problem thus far has been the need to replace the switch. It does get a significant amount of work with perhaps 15 hours per week.

Rhys H.

[SharonW0111]

Thanks Dale -but now everything is bolted to very sturdy tables , Each tool has its own table and they are easy access for me without getting any thing tangled-- if I can just stop getting my wheels off the tubing --lol -I turn the purdiest blue after a few minutes with no air lol -- seriously i have hooks to even keep the tubing off the floor out of my way -- didn't take me long to figure that one out-as far as the table goes I can make one easy --if I just take the time to do it..But then what else would I have to grip about??? I am sure I will think of something --
time for a V-8
Sharon

[CanadianScroller]

Hey Boogatoo, there is a great article in Fine Wood Working no 87 April 1991
that has complete instructions for a home made oscillating sander.
It uses a wooden yoke with brass bushings to drive a spindle up and down.
The yoke is driven by a gear motor while the spindle is driven by another motor.

It would be fairly easy to rig up a windshield wiper motor to create the rectilinear motion of the spindle.

For the one in the magazine. the drive motor is fixed and drives the spindle with a belt. The belt flexes up and down with the yoke.
I think if the drive motor and the spindle were mounted on a platform, a windshield wiper motor could move the whole assembly.

An alternative, my Canadian friend, would be to go to CTC and pick up a $39 8" drill press, mount a windshield wiper motor to the handle of the drill press and voila. a very cheap spindle sander.

Email me if you have any questions.